Boris Johnson
The ESC should take place in Ukraine next year
Ukraine won the ESC 2022 with the rap-folk band Kalush Orchestra.
© Imago Images/Lehtikuva
Because of the Ukraine war, the EBU wants to move the ESC 2023 to Great Britain. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now commented on this.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (57) hopes that the ESC 2023 can still take place in Ukraine. As reported, among other things, by the newspaper “The Guardian”., he said Ukraine deserved to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Johnson hopes the country can do the same despite the ongoing war.
The BBC broadcaster is currently in negotiations with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) about the music competition. The British singer Sam Ryder (32) took second place at the ESC in Turin this year behind the Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra. The EBU announced last Friday (June 17) that the competition could not take place in Ukraine next year due to the war and talks were underway to possibly host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the UK.
“Kyiv would be a fantastic place for the ESC”
Boris Johnson said, according to The Guardian: “The Ukrainians won the Eurovision Song Contest. I know we had a fantastic performance, I know we came second and I would love to do it in this country to have.” Speaking about the music competition, he added: “But the fact of the matter is that they won and they deserve to have it. I believe they can have it and I believe they should have it. I believe Kyiv or anyone else safe Ukrainian city would be a fantastic place to have him.”
Before that, there had already been a lot of headwinds for the EBU. Among others, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, had criticized the decision of the European Broadcasting Union. This would be a setback for the country under attack from Russia. He said of the ESC: “Is it fair to take it away from the country that is fighting for democracy on behalf of the civilized world?”